As suburban children we floated at night in swimming pools the temperature of blood; pools the color of Earth as seen from outer space, We would skinny dip, my friends and me. . . We would float and be naked- pretending to be embryos, pretending to be fetuses- all of us silent save for the hum of the pool filter. I think the price we paid for our golden life was an inability to fully believe in love; instead we gained an irony that scorched everything it touched. And I wonder if this irony is the price we paid for the loss of God. But then I must remind myself we are living creatures--we have religious impulses--we must --and yet into what cracks do these impulses flow in a world without religion? It is something I think about every day. Sometimes I think it is the only thing I should be thinking about. Some facts about me: I think I am a broken person. I seriously question the road my life has taken and I endlessly rehash the compromises I have made in my life. I have an unsecure and vaguely crappy job with an amoral corporation so that I don't have to worry about money. I put up with halfway relationships so as not to have to worry about loneliness. I have lost the ability to recapture the purer feelings of my younger years in exchange for a streamlined narrow-mindedness that I assumed would propel me to "the top." What a joke. Compromise is said to be the way of the world and yet I find myself feeling sick trying to accept what it has done to me:the little yellow pills, the lost sleep. But I don't think this is anything new in the world. This is not to say my life is bad. I know it isn't...but my life is not what I expected it might have been when I was younger. Maybe you yourself deal with this issue better than me. Maybe you have been lucky enough to never have inner voices question you about your own path--or maybe you answered the questioning and came out on the other side. I don't feel sorry for myself in any way. I am merely coming to grips with what I know the world is truly like. Sometimes I want to go to sleep and merge with the foggy world of dreams and not return to this, our real world. Sometimes I look back on my life and am surprised at the lack of kind things I have done. Sometimes I just feel that there must be another road that can be walked--away from this became--either against my will or by default. Now--here is my secret: I tell it to you with the openness of heart that I doubt I shall ever achieve again, so I pray that you are in a quiet room as you hear these words. My secret is that I need God--that I am sick and can no longer make it alone. I need God to help me give, because I no longer seem to be capable of giving; to help me be kind, as I no longer seem capable of kindness; to help me love, as I seem beyond being able to love. -Douglas Coupland, Life After God

 

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Some facts about me: I think I am a broken person.

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spud

:: 2021 3 May :: 3.53pm
:: Mood: Seasonal


A staggering proportion of humans are allergic to the semen of plants.

A perennial reminder.

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spud

:: 2021 29 April :: 11.03pm
:: Music: Tauk - Sir Nebula

Jet Lag

I used to have arguments with my uncle about language. I insisted that there were grammatical structures and rules in place in order to keep the meaning of language consistent. If we are to communicate and exchange ideas, it is critical to have the same words and sounds mean the same thing to both parties, in order to successfully transmit all information in the idea accurately. I thought that the rules helped to keep those meanings from shifting.

His primary contention was that language was alive, constantly evolving and changing in meaning. Different languages cherry pick words and phrases from other languages, sometimes at random, sometimes by conquest. New words are constantly being born, while old words slowly die off and are forgotten. I think he viewed slang as some kind of nursery for future linquistic possibilities.

I have to admit, he may be right.

After all, they condensed an extremely specific phenomenon - in which one traverses the surface of the planet at such an incredible rate, that their biological rhythms have difficulty adapting to the dramatic change in diurnal cycle - into just two syllables.

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spud

:: 2021 1 April :: 10.30pm
:: Music: The Great Outdoors (1988)

life goes on, man.

finished a painting gig today. gonna try to hold off on any more work until after the trip to phoenix. aside from the laundry list of chores amassed for me by past chris. occasionally he surprises me, but usually he just kicks the cans down the road for future chris to deal with. hopefully some dedicated time will help future chris in his efforts.

-----


the spirit of god is alive wherever people are helping others, and growing in understanding. in places where people are wrongly harming others, the spirit is dead. even if that place is a church. or a school. or a home.

this may sound like a bummer, but it is actually very encouraging to witness the spirit thriving in many diverse and unlikely places. don't let the trimmings fool you. look at the people. see who's helping. join them. doesn't really matter where.

<3

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spud

:: 2021 13 March :: 8.43pm
:: Music: Breaking Bad

There's a Martian yelling, "CUT! BOOM IN THE SHOT. EVERYBODY BACK TO ONES!" but you can't hear it above the wind noise.

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spud

:: 2020 19 March :: 4.00pm

COVID-19


If I get stuck at home, you can bet your sweet booty I'll be uploading lots of recordings ;)

As it stands, I still have a job, and we're staying open, so I get to continue working. But if that changes, expect to be seeing some updates <3

Stay safe out there, friends.

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spud

:: 2020 1 March :: 8.01pm

Recorded on 2.29.20
OPEN TALK

In which I am joined by a host of promises. I gave an open talk at the alano club in Grand Rapids, and didn't really talk about booze that much.

Links to stuff I mentioned:





(Ultraclean floss is rad, btw. It is stretchy and doesn't break or tear like normal floss. Get you some ultraclean.)


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spud

:: 2020 2 January :: 1.12pm

Recorded on 12.31.19
POD 22

In which I am joined by Katie <3
We dissect the annual Christmas gauntlet to which she was subjected.

Links to stuff we mentioned:









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spud

:: 2019 7 October :: 4.42pm

Recorded on 9.20.19
POD 21

In which I am all alone

Links to stuff I mentioned:








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spud

:: 2019 25 July :: 11.27am

Recorded on 7.21.19
TECHNICALLY NOT A POD

In which I am joined by Trevor, who wields an axe with superior majesty, and has the hair to match.

ALSO NOT A POD

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spud

:: 2019 15 July :: 2.45pm

recorded on 7.10.19
POD 20

In which I am joined by Nick and Sam. Nick wrote the songs. Sam is an open mic legend here in Grand Rapids.

We were rehearsing for a gig at Mulligans Pub; an establishment whose threshold I had not darkened in nearly a decade. It hasn't changed at all.

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spud

:: 2019 10 July :: 10.25am

Recorded on 7.5.19
POD 19

In which I am joined by Eliot. He wants to start a 90s cover band, but neither of us sing. The set list is epic ... if we can ever learn all the songs. Or find a vocalist.

Links to stuff we mentioned:







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spud

:: 2019 5 July :: 11.30pm

PART 2
POD 18.2

In which I am joined by Doyel and Jaclyn. They JUST GOT ENGAGED! Also, Jaclyn and I are nerds, but Doyel doesn't care.

Links to stuff we mentioned:







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spud

:: 2019 26 June :: 6.13pm
:: Music: (part 1 of 2)

Recorded on 6.24.19

POD 18.1

In which I am joined by Doyel and Jaclyn. They are rad, and fun, and you should probably just be friends with them already.

Links to stuff we mentioned:


LILLY THE KILLING MACHINE




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spud

:: 2019 24 May :: 11.15am

Recorded on 5.22.19
POD 17

In which I am serenaded by Alec.

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spud

:: 2019 18 May :: 1.23pm

looks like it's time for
yet another DRUM BREAK!

I happened across an old recording of this drum pattern I'd written for basement audio lab. It was a crappy demo version consisting of me tapping on my legs and kicking the mic stand. It was virtually unlistenable, with a horrendous click track going in the background. I was surprised to find the pattern came much more naturally to me this time around, and the click was not necessary. I just wanted to make a better recording of the part for future reference. I don't know what prog rock band I'm going to join someday that will have a need for a part in 7/8 time, but you never know. When the time comes, I guess I'll have this to contribute.

Doing fills in 7 is hard. It's not a natural thing to feel when you were raised on groups of 2 and 4. Most people understand 3, I guess. Waltzes and such. Sometimes you'll hear radio stuff in 6 (which is really just 2 groups of 3, or 3 groups of 2, depending). 5 and 7 are a lot trickier, since you're mashing a 2 and a 3, or a 4 and a 3, or 2 twos and a 3 together at once. Makes it harder to find the downbeat. Actually, what I really like to do is carry it over 2 measures, then the "down" beat becomes the "up" beat for the second measure, before it turns back around again.

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spud

:: 2019 16 May :: 10.52pm

I went to the KCCC meeting tonight
They were having elections. I am now officially Trustee #3 on the Board of Directors. Which is mostly an honorary title, but it was nice of them to include me.

I decided to celebrate at a place down the road ... with a poke bowl:




then i was like, wait...

poke bowl = poke ball?

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spud

:: 2019 14 April :: 10.46pm

Recorded on 4.3.19
POD 16

In which I am joined by Mike. He will make you want to have his babies, with piercing blue eyes and gravelly baritone.

Links to stuff we mentioned:







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spud

:: 2019 9 April :: 11.30pm

recorded on 3.29.19
POD 15

The second episode with Kevin, in which we were highly inappropriate. You've been warned.

Links to stuff we mentioned:







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spud

:: 2019 3 April :: 10.47am

Recorded on 3.27.19
POD 14.2

The second part, in which snacks were had and recording quality suffered accordingly. You've been warned.

Links to stuff we mentioned:







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spud

:: 2019 2 April :: 6.30pm

Recorded on 3.27.19
POD 14.1

After much deliberation, names were left un-bleeped. If we talk about you and you want your name bleeped, please forward your bleeping requests to: complaints@spud.com

Links to stuff we mentioned:
THE OFFSPRING IS A GOOD PERSON BAND

CAKE IS ALSO A BAND

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spud

:: 2019 26 March :: 11.28pm

No new podcast yet, just a fun video I wanted to share. There's a lot of good stuff here, if you're into recording drums.

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spud

:: 2019 19 March :: 11.15pm

recorded on 3.19.19

POD 13

Happy hostful super-mega-ultra-blood-oath-moon-equinox thing.

Enjoy a podcast.

Links to stuff I mentioned:
meeting guide app

"demo" site - sandbox mode engage!

current (i.e. lame) site

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spud

:: 2019 12 March :: 8.20am
:: Mood: Woo

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spud

:: 2019 10 March :: 10.26pm

Recorded on 3.6.19
POD 12.2

Jess came back! And we talked for so long, I decided to split it into two episodes.

Here's the big cliffhanger! We mostly talk about god, or the potential lack thereof.

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spud

:: 2019 8 March :: 11.13am

recorded on 3.6.19
POD 12.1

Jess came back! And we talked for so long, I decided to split it into two episodes!

Get ready for a big cliffhanger. Or don't. Whatever. We won't judge your level of preparedness.

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spud

:: 2019 2 March :: 1.01pm

Recorded on 2.26.19
POD 11

Thanks to Jessica (not Jess) for joining me on this episode, in which smartphones, will smith, sharknado, and student loans are discussed.

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spud

:: 2019 22 February :: 2.41pm

READY FOR SPRING.

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spud

:: 2019 17 February :: 1.20pm

Recorded on 2.14.19

POD 10

Special thanks to JESS for joining me on a special valentine's edition, in which valentine's day is hardly mentioned at all.

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spud

:: 2019 13 February :: 10.41pm
:: Music: fuckin' ... me

hang on-

DRUM BREAK

BET YOU THOUGHT I FORGOT ABOUT THE PODCAST ALREADY.

well, you thought wrong. but shit happens. life gets busy. i'll post another one when i'm damn good and ready, and you're just going to have to deal with it!

in the immortal words of Tim Urban: "New post every sometimes"

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spud

:: 2019 4 February :: 11.11pm

Recorded on 2.3.19
POD 9

Spoilers and sads, but don’t worry, it’s okay :)

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